


from here to beyond

by dohkyan



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Fluff, M/M, Mention of Injuries and Blood, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dohkyan/pseuds/dohkyan
Summary: The ‘Oh milk-yway & shakes’ is the witness of how Kyungsoo and Jongin grow to be something more than friends and casual allies.





	from here to beyond

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, welcome to this shamble. This was written for the EXOnaut FicFest Round 2017 and it's a self-prompt. Thanks to everyone that was supportive of this small story, specially to N & A.  
>  **extra note:** I mention it in the fic, but just in case it's confusing at the beginning, Kyungsoo is a ranger, Jongin is a bounty hunter and Sehun is their human friend, owner of the best milkshakes restaurant in the whole universe, that gets caught in the middle.

_One._

Kyungsoo sits at a corner table, strawberry milkshake in hand, gaze fixed on the tiny constellations that are formed by the little sugar stars inside it. The sight is pretty. The vibrant neon lights of the ‘Oh milk-yway & shakes’ reflect on the sundae glasses, on the mirroring roof, on his brand new spectacles, but more astoundingly, on the remainings of diamond glitter Jongin still has all over his face.

Unbothered and unaware of the staring, Jongin sips his own blueberry milkshake, reading the menu over and over again. As if he didn’t know it like the back of his hand after years and years of finding himself there –at the exact same table, in the exact same situation.

“Ready?” Kyungsoo asks anyway, peeking over his shoulder to find Sehun already hanging the closed sign on the front door.

“Almost there.”

“Just forty five reads more.”

Jongin smiles at that, tilting his head barely enough to send a playful gaze towards him. “Calm down, _Mr. Ranger_ ,” he drags the nickname, knowing it makes Kyungsoo uncomfortable without reason. “We aren’t in one of your missions.”

“I wouldn’t even take you to one of my missions.”

“Well, that hurt.” Jongin ends in a chuckle. His laughter is always quite nice to hear, no matter the circumstances –loud but bubbly, enough to make any kind of irritation over Kyungsoo’s shoulders go away.

It’s also non-stop, even after Sehun drags a chair towards their table to join them, letting the weight of his two laser guns hit the table with a heavy thud.

From there, Kyungsoo can see Sehun’s shoulders relaxing without their weight, back leaning against the chair as he takes out his jacket and pulls down his suspenders. A bit of skin from his chest is exposed by his partially unbuttoned t-shirt, letting in sight a new small tattoo of a square over his right collarbone.

Dragging his attention back to the laser guns, Kyungsoo notices they are definitely a new model and marvels at them. They are a couple of Duke Canon.54, designed to resemble the simple vintage guns that rangers use for their training days, but with fourfold the size and tenfold the weight.

And way more dangerous than what Sehun, or any other human, is used to, but exactly what he needs –him being one of the few humans that are scattered through this particular part of the cosmos.

Unlike him, Jongin and Kyungsoo hold an advantage due to their mixed heritage despite their human-alikeness.

It’s this small detail that makes Kyungsoo conscious of his Oinome features once again –running a hand through his jet black hair, touching the little horns over his head, as sharp as his fangs, and feeling the raspy vertical lines on his nape that extend till his lower back. Those are alright, but Oinomes also tend to be short-sighted, which isn’t helpful at all.

Jongin has no problem, though. His shape-shifting nature has allowed him to be one of the healthiest beings in the cosmos. Alongside with being able to pick the form that suits him the best.

That is humans with a bit more of color, for no particular reason.

Sehun puffs off blue smoke after taking a drag from his electronic cigarette that almost resembles a sharper, longer pen. It smells like apples.

“So what’s the deal?” he asks, placing both arms over his guns and interlacing his fingers.

Jongin might want to pretend this is nothing more than a friendly visit, but Sehun hasn't come that far only because his weapons.

While Sehun tries to remain as a partial man, away from danger and criminal records–even having the weapons permissions the Federation requires but not exactly everyone follows– he isn’t actually bothered of handing a bit of information to a bounty hunter in exchange of years of friendship.

For this, Kyungsoo can’t help but keep an eye on him. Same as on Jongin.

“I need a name. Augr’O, male, short but not as short as Kyungsoo.” He says, earning a menacing chuckle from the other. “Rather young, with a prominent Augr'O tattoo on the neck, and that could have stayed at the Andromeda-Vis two cycles ago.”

“You don’t have a picture?” Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows in confusion. It’s unusual for Jongin to not have a picture of his bounties with him.

Jongin shake his head, diamond glitter falling from his pink cherry hair. Kyungsoo will have to remind him to shower after visiting Dromeda-Xe. “Too fast, too mysterious.”

“Who is your client?” Sehun arches an eyebrow, sending a small worried glance towards Kyungsoo.

Even if most of the time Kyungsoo lets Jongin escape from justice and wander around getting bounties without arresting him, he would still stop him from doing something too dangerous or too stupid. Not only because it would probably break a few, actually important rules of the Federation, but most importantly, to keep Jongin safe.

Not that Jongin needs protection, but he can be stubborn and too playful to let go of both dangerous and interesting bounties.

“Park Chanyeol,” Jongin says as Kyungsoo's shoulder slump on the chair with relief. The fle’x isn't that dangerous, just stubborn, but he likes Jongin enough to not get him into big troubles.

“Why are you working for him again?” Sehun asks furrowing his eyebrows, perfectly knowing Park never gives enough information and his descriptions tend to be far from exact. Still, he puffs out again with a resigned look. “I will ask around tomorrow; Augr’Os aren't that common on Andromeda-Vis nowadays.”

“That’s my man,” Jongin smiles widely, reaching to pat Sehun’s tight and then caress it slowly. “Now, what if you bring Kyungsoo and I a few snacks, would you?”

And then, he winks –something he always does, but this time, it takes Kyungsoo by surprise somehow.

 

//

 

_Two._

Kyungsoo taps the floor impatiently with his shoe tip as he peeks through the glass of the door. Half an hour has passed and there is still no sight of Sehun or Jongin.

The corridor from the entrance of the station to the restaurant tends to be dark, even with the low blue lights on its roof –quite in contrast with the blinding pink light that the restaurant always emanates.

It also tends to be cold, with the freezing breeze of the space still reaching Kyungsoo’s nape, making him huddle in his jacket. This and leaving him wondering why is he there so early and why does he take and do so many things for Jongin. _Things_ as being willing to search in his data base for whoever Park is looking for.

“Hey.” Jongin arrives smiling giddy, huddling in his own coat and scarf. “Sorry I'm late.”

“We are worse than being late,” Kyungsoo purses his lips in a thin line, they are getting dry. “We are early.”

Sehun promised to open the restaurant for a few hours before the schedule to hand them the information about the mysterious man, but at this point, Kyungsoo is pretty sure he is still asleep. Keys could be useful, but Jongin –with both hands on his pockets, shoulders slumped, nose hiding under the scarf– doesn’t look eager to pull them out.

“If you ever open…” Kyungsoo mutters, to which Jongin’s smile widens, making his face bright with a vibrant pink due to his shapeshifter nature. “Don’t tell me you forgot the keys,” he tries to be menacing, but Jongin barely starts chuckling out of nowhere. “Jongin…”

“Easy,” he says, expression slightly embarrassed as he gets closer to Kyungsoo. Usually, when he laughs, he scoops closer to the other without reason. “I sent Sehun a text, he will probably open soon.”

Kyungsoo hums, letting Jongin press his body against his, placing his probably sleepy face on the crook of his neck as he curls into the warmth radiating from the other. Kyungsoo half-smiles at that, huddling into the other’s half embrace.

It’s nothing new, nothing they haven’t done before a lot of times. So at this point, when Kyungsoo realizes Jongin is staying there more time than usual, he merely coos.

“Something wrong?” he whispers and circles an arm behind his back, feeling how Jongin’s shoulders relax at the touch.

“No,” Jongin replies and tries to scoop closer, as if their bodies weren’t the closest they have ever been. “You are just... more comfortable and cozy today.”

“Ah.”

Then, something in his heart drops as fast as light, making the moment feel so intimate, not as best friends intimate, but as something more. Something that has been there for long, but never had an exact shape until Jongin sighs due to Kyungsoo rubbing his back with soothing circles.

It’s slightly scary, even more since there is nothing else around to distract Kyungsoo’s mind. But with them being the only ones in the corridor, deep in silence except for the usual odd noise coming from outside, whatever it is starts to soften –to sink into him, as gentle as Jongin’s breathe.

 

//

 

_Three. Four. Five._

Jongin bites his lips with discomfort, to which Kyungsoo coos sardonically while removing the sixth splinter from the former’s forearm. A combat hand to hand with a goheg'h is never a smart choice. 

“This wouldn’t happen if you were on our side,” Kyungsoo tries to joke around as Jongin snorts before wincing once again. It usually helps both soothing their nerves when they have to patch up their injuries.

It’s something obvious, though, that Jongin would never get to Kyungsoo’s side –with the rangers. The intergalactic law system is too organized, too narrow for him, even for Kyungsoo himself sometimes. But to dream is something natural, and now that Kyungsoo traces Jongin’s arms, scans meticulously over his countless scars, he thinks of something he is so used to and would like to give to Jongin.

Even if Kyungsoo’s body is marked with scars as well –even his small horns have traces of injuries– there is a certain feeling of security about being part of a team, of having somewhere to go, to return to, this knowing he will have enough money to live when his ranger days are over. Something Jongin doesn’t have.

But two things are obvious at this point, after so many years of _friendship_. One, Kyungsoo is the only _team_ Jongin is willing to take and that’s enough for both. Two, Jongin is not _that_. Nor Kyungsoo could switch their lives either.

While being a ranger and being a bounty hunter are who they are, it’s doesn’t mean _that_ is everything that they are.

“Soo,” Jongin breaks Kyungsoo’s trail of thoughts, making him realize he has been running his fingers over Jongin’s hands –veins and scars. There is vibrant pink over Jongin’s cheeks again, which makes Kyungsoo imitate him. And this time, his eyes resemble a deep and colorful sea, hues of different shades going through them, entrancing him.

Even at that age, Kyungsoo thinks, this still feels like teenagery stuff. But only for Jongin.

Because…

“Thank you,” Jongin whispers, holding the trace of a smile that never lands. It doesn’t worry Kyungsoo, though, because he can see all the sincerity in Jongin’s eyes that already settled in charcoal grey once more.

Kyungsoo nods, staying silent as he keeps caressing Jongin’s hand with soft digits.

 

Because Jongin is all that matters.

 

//

 

_Seven._

Kyungsoo realizes he wants to actually kiss Jongin when both are in the bathroom. It’s nothing fancy, but it could be perfect, sweet even, if Kyungsoo could only forget that time he got a little wild with Baekhyun over the exact same sinks.

Right now, Jongin is in front of the mirror, skin mirroring the aqua light coming from the leds on the sink, fading nicely with the classic pink lights that cover the ‘Oh milk-yway & shakes’. His jacket is tied around his waist, his t-shirt over the sink, soaking with the already forgotten leaking faucet.

It’s a whole show, like watching the implosion of colorful stars, supernovas here and there –over his shoulder, collarbones, cheekbones. Even Jongin’s eyes are a beautiful mixture of aqua and pink, and they glint when he catches Kyungsoo staring without saying a thing.

“So?” Jongin asks, getting closer to Kyungsoo’s reflection on the mirror. “Do I look like a Noen’lam? Could I fool even the smartest one of them?”

Kyungsoo had totally forgotten the actual reason as to why Jongin was playing with the colors of his body –to pass as part of the Augr’O’s crew, whose name and face are still a mystery, but the fact that he only employs chameleon beings is truthful.

“Sure,” Kyungsoo licks his lips impatiently, trying to stop himself from staring again. Which is difficult, since Jongin’s face is still quite distracting.

“You don’t sound confident, though,” Jongin furrows his eyebrows, the display of moving colors on his skin suddenly returning to his usual sunkissed shade and his eyes darkening until blackness.

But even then, he looks astounding.

 

The next time he gets closer to Kyungsoo, the latter can’t avoid staring at his full lips.

And maybe, just maybe, Kyungsoo finds Jongin staring back too.

 

//

 

_Eight._

They arrive in the morning with a bang, when Jongin is holding Kyungsoo’s hand carefully, placing a small band-aid around his finger and caressing his knuckles one by one.

Kyungsoo can’t be more pissed at whoever would ruin such perfect moment. But when he turns around, his mind can’t settle back to peace and safety anymore.

Right at the entrance, with the dark hall as a background and a heavy fire gun over his shoulder, there he stands the Augr’O Jongin has been looking for. Slightly tall, clean-cut face, emerald crystals eyes and the prominent Augr'O tattoo over his exposed neck, visible even with a choker one. It can't be no one else but Kim Junmyeon.

So this is him, the man Park Chanyeol has been looking for –the same man the Federation has had an eye on since the beginning of his criminal career.

The disbelief doesn’t blind Kyungsoo, though. If Kim Junmyeon is there, exposing himself and two other members of his crew inside a place so mundane as a restaurant inside a station, then it means he has come to finish _something_. If Kyungsoo is right, that could mean both Sehun and Jongin are in great danger.

And that Park Chanyeol is a dead man when all of this is over. 

It only takes a glance towards Jongin for the latter to nod and open his jacket to pull out his favorite weapons –a set of three purple knives that might not be as strong as Kyungsoo’s guns, but still quite dangerous if they are handled with the great technique that Jongin has.

On his part, Kyungsoo grips his old bullet gun, a bit nervous about having such a weak weapon in a situation like this one, and sends an alarm to the Federation to ask for support.

“Get out!” Sehun yells to his innocent customers to urge them to run away, already gripping the two laser guns that hang from the straps under his jacket.

The restaurant gets emptied in the blink of an eye while Junmyeon walks confidently and menacingly towards Sehun.

Kyungsoo turns once more trying to find reassurence in Jongin, who doesn’t even have to nod for both to stand up at the same time and attack the small gang Junmyeon is carrying with him.

This could be three against three, with the adrenaline of danger rushing through every inch of Kyungsoo’s body as he throws a table to the floor to use it as a shield. In his mind, though, he can’t stop thinking of Sehun, being the one that has to go against Junmyeon, a dangerous criminal, something he has never faced before.

There isn’t enough time to think further, though, nor to hear the screams or gunshots. Kyungsoo peeks from the table, finding his closer target to start shooting mercessley. The laser from his opponent barely misses his head by not even an inch, making Kyungsoo realize he has to start moving.

One quick scan through the room helps him to find Jongin in the corridor, but there is no trace of Sehun, just the burnt old counter and the hideous burnt plastic smell he hadn’t noticed before. He opts to hide behind it, though, cursing under his breath when he crouches down and finds one of Sehun’s laser guns at the edge of becoming ashes.

A loud bang of something being thrown towards his direction startles him, pushing him to throw it back, whatever it was, before recharging and start shooting again.

It doesn’t take long until he receives the first shot –a tear on his uniform, through which his thick, dark blood falls to the ground. Still between the shots, the curses, the common pain on his arm and the feeling an uncontrollable fire is being starting soon enough, Kyungsoo can only have Sehun and Jongin in mind.

 

Kyungsoo runs, his last breath being caught between coughs of blood that don’t actually matter to him. The most important thing, actually, is griping Jongin’s hand as he drags him towards the storage room. Sehun is waiting there, with traces of battle injuries and blood all over his body.

As soon as both enter the room, Sehun closes the door shut, letting out a huge sigh of relief as he leans against the door and slides to the ground until he sits. Kyungsoo and Jongin follow his example, as both let themselves fall to the ground to catch some air.

The relief is only temporary, though, and Kyungsoo can’t be more aware of that as he holds Jongin’s face between his hands.

“Are you alright?” he asks even when the answer can’t be more obvious, but Jongin smiles at the gesture and softly rests his cheek against his palm.

“I am, but you are drooling blood over my clothes.”

Kyungsoo snorts before wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, holding a playful smile. “I hate you.”

“It’s alright, though. You still look handsome.”

“Can you both shut up?” Sehun groans. “We are about to die here, remember?”

“He’s right,” Jongin straightens his back and stretches with a discomfort moan when he holds his forearm. “What’s the plan, officer?”

“I actually have no idea this time,” Kyungsoo confesses as he looks around the room, thinking of a safe way out from the place or at least how to survive there until the support arrives. Time is running out and Junmyeon and one of his men are still roaming around the station, looking for them. Fortunately, Jongin managed to injury Junmyeon’s leg with one of his knives, which should make them slower.

It’s when they hear another bang and the sound of a gas leak, that Kyungsoo comes up with the only solution he can find at the moment. And so, he grips Jongin’s nape to bring him closer. It’s also what they do all the time, but Kyungsoo notices there is something different that flashes through Jongin’s eyes this time. It will have to wait, though, Kyungsoo can still see Sehun rolling his eyes despite having one swollen.

“This place needs to be brought down,” he murmurs. “There is nothing else we can do but to get out of here and trap them inside.”

Jongin turns his gaze, looking at Sehun with worry. This is his place after all, the place where he has made a living since a very young age, a whole family business. Recovering from it might be difficult for him.

“Whatever you two are murmuring...” Sehun doesn’t even try to approach them, but a pointed look is enough for both to pay attention to him. “You better let me know or else I’m ending both of you right here, right now.”

Jongin nods to Kyungsoo before facing Sehun again. “This place, it can’t be saved.”

 

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

Sehun sighs, watching his place fall apart in the distance. Fingertips pressed against the thick glass that separates them from the space.

“We are stable,” Jongin comments from the small control panel of the emergency ship, keeping his eyes _on the road._

Kyungsoo, on the other hand, is next to Sehun, watching how what used to be ‘Oh milk-yway & shakes’ is surrounded by smoke and ranger ships that hover over it. From the corner of his eye, he believes he sees Sehun rubbing his swollen eye with his sleeve, and places an arm over his shoulders when he sees them shake.

“It’s going to be alright,” Kyungsoo murmurs, hoping that Sehun can believe it too.

One last glance towards the now far away station and Kyungsoo also feels a tug at his heartstrings, a mixture of sadness, nostalgia and resignation. Even if not as much as Sehun, he will miss that place –its pink walls and its blue furniture, the corner table and the time he spent there with his friends at his side.

At least when he turns around, he finds what truly made the place special with him. Safe.

 

//

 

_Nine._

_Ten._

_Eleven_ blue chairs inside the place are starting to give it the look. Sehun’s new station is rather small, but Jongin keeps talking about knowing a friend of a friend who can help with further remodelations.

 

//

 

_Twelve._

Kyungsoo drops himself on the chair of his new corner table, pink lemonade –the new addition to the menu– in hand. He yawns, running a hand through his messy hair and rubbing his eyes to push away the sleepiness he has been carrying the whole morning. The new sight of the place is quite pretty too, but something is lacking.

That is until Jongin suddenly appears with a similar tired expression and the old blueberry milkshake with him.

Past cycles have been exhausting, but the new place is worth the sleepless, restless nights.

“Hey there,” Jongin smiles widely despite his evident urge to yawn. Kyungsoo barely nods in acknowledgment, too tired to even speak.  

This makes Jongin laugh, reaching to cup Kyungsoo's face between his hands and rub soothing circles on his temples.

“You know, I was thinking that, since I was the one that stopped Junmyeon…” Kyungsoo arches an eyebrow. “‘s leg, because of my knife, your people practically owe me something.”

“Do we really?” Kyungsoo smiles playful, sensing where this is going when Jongin nods. “And what do we owe you exactly?”

“I don’t know,” Jongin shrugs, now playing with Kyungsoo's cheeks. The latter will let him be, since he is tired and the affection is making him feel giddy, in a good way. “I was hoping you could suggest something… You could take me on a mission someday...”

Kyungsoo could, actually, he has been thinking about it.

“Or a date,”Jongin murmurs as his cheeks turn cherry pink. When he notices Kyungsoo is unresponsive, he chuckles awkwardly. “I'm just giving ideas, money is also–”

But before he can finish talking, Kyungsoo is pressing their lips together, trying to be as gentle as he can without showing the desperation that has been eating him for long.

“I guess we can start with that,” he says and marvels at the brightest red shade he has ever seen on Jongin.

 

//

 

_Thirteen._

_Fourteen._

_Fifteen_ kisses, and Jongin still won't let Kyungsoo leave the room.

But it’s alright.

Because Jongin is everything that matters.

**Author's Note:**

> Ofc I wish I could have done more, but hopefully one day I'll get inspired to fully develop this one. Thanks for reading ~


End file.
